Adjustable window-shade.



, W. L. AMSTALDEN.

ADJUSTABLE WINDOW SHADE. APPLICATION men Nov.2uL I911. RENEWED OCT. 2. 191a.-

LEOQAQL Patented May 6,1919.

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W. L. AMSTALDEN. ADJUSTABLE wmp'ow SHADE.

APPLICATION vFILED NOV. 28. I917. REN EWED OCT. 2. I918.

Patented May 6', 1919.

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WILLIAM L. AMSTALDEN, 0F GOLOMA, CALIFORNIA.

ADJUSTABLE WINDOW-SHADE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 6, 1919.

Application filed November 28, 1917, Serial No; 204,353. Renewed October 2, 1918. Serial No. 256,628.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. AMS- TALDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at 00101119., in the county of Eldorado and State of'California, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in .Adjustable Window-Shades; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to improve ments in adjustable window shades, and has for an object toprovide the shade roller with devices whereby the same may be lowered or elevated to a desired position on the window frame so as to admit light into a room from above while the shade may be drawn down to prevent the entrance of light from beneathsaid roller.

Another object of the present invention resides in'providing anovel construction of parts for carrying out the above described purposes, and which will hereinafter more fully appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and in'which similar referencev symbols indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view, with parts shown in section, of a window frame illustrating my improved adjustable shade applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through a portion of the window frame illustratingthe track and cog wheel.

Fig/3 is a similar view showing the cog wheel released.

Fig. 4 is an end viewof the shade roller.

. Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of the shade roller taken on the line 55 in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 6-6 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view ofadetail.

Fig. 8 is an'elevational view, with parts shown in section, of a' modified form of the invention; and 1 Y Fig.4) isasectionalview through a shade stick, involving a slightlyyfurther modifica- 3H, ..i l

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the winddwsframe'onwhich my im proved adjustable window shade is mounted is indicated generally at" 1. Beads 2-, runa shaft 8 which passes through the roller 9 on which the shade 10 is wound. Boxing's or housing 11 and 12 furnish bearings for the shaft 8 and contain the cog wheels 6 and 7. Said boxings or housings 11 and 12 are fitted to slide vertically on the tracks 1 and 5, and each has fhnges 13 and 1 1 which embrace the extended edges of said tracks and fit between the window frame and the same in the fashion shown in Fig.

6, which prevents accidental dismemberment of the device. At the top the tracks terminate a distance sufiicient to allow the housings 11 and 12 to be withdrawn from the tracks 4 and 5; but normally removable stops 15 and 16 are supplied to prevent the shade roller from accidentally becoming dis engaged from the window frame. When it is desired to substitute another shade the stops 15 and 16 may be quickly removed.

Fixed on the shaft 8 within the roller 9, is a ratchet 17, preferablyhaving five or six teeth, and arranged to be engaged by a pair of weighted pawls 18 and 19, as shown to advantage in Fig. l, for the purpose of holding the window shade 10 at the desired position. A coilspring 18 is fixed at one end to said ratchet'17, while at its other end it engages a collar 19 fixed by a pin 20 to the roller 9. i

The roller 9 contains a second spring 21 having one of its ends secured to a collar 22 fixed on the shaft 8, and its other end secured to a sleeve 23 which surrounds, but is free ofsaid shaft 8. This spring provides forease in raising the-shade roller 9 over the tracks l and 5 when a. tooth 24 on dog 25 is removed from one of the notches in the track 5, as shown in Fig. 3. This dog 25 is formed with arms 26 and 27 attached to'thesleeve 23 andhousing 12 respectively. The lowerend of the dog 25 is looped to provide a slot 28, as shown inFig. 7, through which a handle or cord 29 passes, and through which the dog may be disengaged.

The handle or cord 29 may be fixed at its upper end in an eye 30 on the housing 12.

To apply the device to the window frame 1, simply requires that the tracks 4 and 5 be first secured to the beads 2, and that then the housings 11 and 12, carrying the shade roller, be inserted with their flanges 13 and 14 fitting to the rear of the longitudinal edges of said tracks; after which the stops l5 and 16 are put in place and the device is ready for use.

In use, the curtain 10 may be elevated and lowered in the usual manner, which causes the roller 9 to rotate about the shaft 8, but does not necessitate its moving up or down on the tracks 4 and 5. This movement of the shade is accomplished through the spring 18 and the pawl and ratchet arrangement, as will be readily understood.

When it becomes necessary or desirable to obscure the lower part of the window while admitting light from above, the handle or cord 29 may be grasped and pulled outwardly from the window frame 1, which will be eifective to disengage the tooth 24 from the notched track 5. After this dog is disengaged the handle 29 also serves as ameans for raising or lowering the shade roller 9, which travelseasily by means of the cog wheels 6 and 7. rotating in the housings 11 and 12. WVhen the desired elevation has been arrived at the handle or cord 29 is released and the spring 21 will return the tooth 24 into engagement with one of the notches in the track 5, where it will lock the appliance in the adjusted position.

Referring now more particularly to that form of the invention shown in Fig. 8, it will be seen that the pawl and ratchet mechanism is dispensed with, as likewise the spring 21; while substantially the same arrangement of cog wheels is mounted in connection with the shade stick 31 as is applied to the shade roller,

In this instance the shade 32 is wound on a roller 33 which is journaled loosely on a shaft 34. A recess 35 is made in one end of said shade roller 33 to receive a coil spring 36 secured at one end 37 to the shaft 34 and at the other end 38 to the roller 33. Cog wheels 39 and 40 are made fast on the projecting ends of the shaft 34 and are contained in housings 41 and 42 which are fitted to slide vertically on the tracks 43 and 44, as above described in connection with Figs. 1 and 6. The dog 45 and handle 46 are similar ,to the corresponding parts shown in Figs 1, 2 and 3.

The shade stick 31, inthis instance, is provided with trunnions 47 which carry cog wheels 48 and. 49 operating in housings 50 and 51, which are arranged in connection with the tracks 43 and 44 just as are the housings for the upper rollers.

An alternative construction to this latter is shown in Fig. 9, wherein the shade stick 52 is cored to receive a shaft 53 carrying the cog wheels 48 and 49; in which instance the shade stick 52 remains stationary while the shaft 53 within is enabled to revolve.

In the operation of the device the shade roller 33 is normally at the top of the window, where it is locked by the dog 45, and the shade is moved up by lifting the handle 54 which disengages the lower dog 55 from the track 44. When so disengaged the shade may be moved up or down, as desired. When lowered the shade will, as it unrolls from the roller 33, wind up the spring 36 so as to re-wind the shade 32 when released at the bottom.

The shade may be also lowered from the top by disengaging the dog 45 through thehandle 4G, and the spring 36 will, as the roller 33 descends, wind up theshade 32.

For this construction, therefore, I am enabled to dispense with the ratchet and pawls usually carried by shade rollers, and a second spring, such as is required in that form of the invention shown in Fig. 1.

It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of construction and arrangements of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention, and therefore I do not wish to be limited to such features except as may be required by the claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a window frame, a roller adjustable vertically with respect to said window frame, a shade wound on said roller, means for holding the roller at the adjusted vertical position, a spring in said shade roller both for yieldingly maintaining said roller-holding means in operative position and for exerting a lifting force on said roller when said holding means is released, a pawl and ratchet device to hold the shade where moved, and a second spring also in said roller for windingthe shade on the roller while the roller remains unmoved vertically and also for automatically winding the shade when the roller is lowered with respect to the window frame, substantially as described.

2. The combination witha window frame, notched tracks on the window frame, cog wheels running on said tracks, a shaft connecting and rotatable with said cog wheels, a hollow roller freely mounted on said shaft, a dog movable with said shaft and roller and adapted to engage the notches in one of said tracks to hold said roller in adjusted position, a coil springwound about said shaft and located within said roller, said spring being connected to yieldingly urge said dog into the track notches and adapted to exert a lifting force on the roller when the dog is released, a shade wound on said ing the shade Where moved, and a second spring also located Within said shade roller adapted to Wind the shade on said roller While the roller remains unmoved vertically and also adapted to automatically Wind the shade on the roller as the roller descends vertically with respect to said Window frame, substantially as described.

3. In combination with a Window frame, a roller adjustable vertically With respect to said Window frame, a shade Wound on said roller, means for holding the roller at the adjusted vertical position, means both for yieldingly maintaining said roller-holding means in operative position and for exerting a lifting force on said roller When said holding-means is released, means for Winding the shade on said roller and for retaining the shade Where moved, said lastnamed means being also adapted to automatically Wind the shade on the roller when said roller is lowered vertically, substantially as described.

4. In combination with a Window frame, notched tracks on said Window frame, cog wheels running on said tracks, a roller supported by said cog Wheels and movable vertically of the window frame, a shade Wound about said roller, a dog having a tooth adapted to engage in the notches in one of said tracks to hold the shade roller in the adjusted vertical position, a loop carried by said dog, and an operating means movable With said cog wheels and shade roller and passing through said loop whereby to lift the dog to disengage its tooth from the notch track and to draw the shade roller down, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I aiiix my signature.

WVILLIAM L. AMSTALDEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0. 

